The Fireworks At New Year's
by Meegs82
Summary: A mainly fluffy, fun scenario in which Booth & Brennan find themselves at a New Year's party. Angela & Hodgins are also a part of this fun lil' fanfic. Please keep in mind that this was written BEFORE the Christmas episode was aired.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

"Hurry up, Bren!" Angela insisted as she knocked on the door to Brennan's bathroom.

"I am hurrying, Ang! Just hold on!" Brennan yelled through the door.

Angela rolled her eyes and started pacing the living room, sighing and glancing at her watch. "We're going to be late…great," Angela said aloud.

Brennan finished putting in her earrings and she took one last look at herself in the mirror. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she said to herself as she eyed her reflection. One last smearing of lipstick and she was ready. She swung open the door and flipped off the light.

Angela looked over as soon as she heard the door. Her jaw almost hit the floor.

"Sweetie! You look smokin' hot!" Angela exclaimed as Brennan joined her in the living room.

"Really? You think so?" Brennan asked, clearly wanting Angela's approval.

"You could not look any hotter than you do right now. I'm so proud of you for putting that outfit together," Angela said, beaming from ear to ear.

Brennan had curled her hair slightly so that it cascaded in waves and fell on her smooth shoulders. She wore a slightly shimmery red scoop neck top, which was sleeveless. A red, beaded necklace dangled from her neck and she had earrings to match. She wore tight jeans to complete the outfit.

"Well, I wanted to dress myself for once," she said, smirking playfully at Angela.

"Hey, I dress you well. But I must admit, you did a tremendous job this time. Booth is gonna melt when he sees you," Angela said, pursing her lips and smiling and evil grin at the last sentence.

"Ang, will you quit?" Brennan said as she strode to the kitchen table to grab her purse.

"What? It's the truth. Has he ever seen you all dressed up and glamorous?" Angela asked.

"Yes. Remember the donor's ball when Hodgins didn't want to go and Booth let him off the hook? He saw me then," Brennan explained.

"And what did he say?" Angela asked, still smirking.

"Nothing," Brennan replied and then thought better, "Well, he started to say…something, but…I don't know, Ang. Can we just forget about this whole topic? I am only going to this New Year's Eve party because you asked me to," Brennan said, her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, yeah. Can you at least have a couple of drinks and pretend that you're having a good time?" Angela asked.

"I will have a good time…as long as you don't mention Booth like that for the rest of the night," Brennan replied, heading towards the door to her apartment.

"Fine. I won't say another word," Angela agreed as she followed Brennan out of the apartment. But the smile did not leave her face as she thought about what the night might have in store for them.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Are you sure this top isn't too low cut?" Brennan asked, fiddling with the scoop neck with a slight snarl on her face.

"Hon, there is no such thing as 'too low cut,'" Angela replied as she pulled the car into a parking lot.

"I just feel…exposed, I guess," Brennan replied, leaving the shirt alone and smoothing out her hair.

"That's the whole point, sweetie," Angela said, smiling her giant Angela smile. "You ready to have some fun or what?" she asked, grabbing Brennan's knee and squeezing it.

"Yes…I am officially ready. Where are we anyway?" Brennan asked, trying to look up at the bright neon sign that flashed over their heads.

"Only the best New Year's Eve spot in the city. It overlooks everything and you can see every fireworks display in town," Angela replied, reaching for the car door, only to have her arm stopped by Brennan's hand.

"I don't know, Ang. The last time I went out with you, we found a mummy in a wall and ended up high on crystal methamphetamine. And I feel like my boobs are going to pop out," Brennan said, grabbing her chest and trying to readjust.

"Sweetie, you look hot. And I am not just saying that because I'm your best friend. The last time we went out…you didn't look so hot with your hair in a ponytail and your tanktop thing-"

"Gee, thanks Ang," Brennan interrupted.

Angela rolled her eyes. "My point is that I wouldn't lie to you…and you look like a movie star," she replied, smiling supportively at her best friend.

Brennan returned the smile. "Okay. Fine. I will keep my mouth shut and focus on enjoying the night," she replied.

"Fabulous! Just don't tell people that they're part of a tribe and we should be just fine," Angela said as she hopped out of the car, leaving Brennan trying to figure out what exactly her best friend had meant by her last comment.

The music was blaring and Brennan couldn't even hear herself think. The two women headed for a section of the bar that wasn't quite so loud. Angela left Brennan for a minute while she went to go order them drinks.

Brennan stood there, observing the people around her. Most people looked to be around her and Angela's age with a few older and a few younger. There was a table of people who literally looked like teenagers to Brennan and she found herself thinking that they must have fake IDs. Some people were dancing on a small dance floor at the opposite end of the bar. Brennan wondered what music they were dancing to as she had certainly never heard it before. As her eyes wandered around the bar, they caught a glimpse of a rather tall man. He was leaning in towards the bar with his back almost entirely to Brennan with his head tilted just out of her direct eyeline.

He seemed to be looking for someone because his head was darting around, Brennan observed, yet she still couldn't see his face. He then turned his back completely to her and she lost interest. Where on earth is Angela? Brennan thought to herself, now beginning to feel slightly out of place. She didn't want to move from her spot because Angela may not find her if she did, but she didn't feel comfortable. She spotted a chair a few feet to her left and decided to take a seat. And so she sat for a good 5 minutes, her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. A couple of men walked by her, staring, but she didn't even notice.

She sighed, irritated that Angela was taking so long and that there was no sign of Booth. He was supposed to meet them at the bar as was Hodgins, but neither had shown up yet. Brennan resorted to staring at her fingernails while she fidgeted with the zipper on her purse.

"Care to dance?" a voice caught her attention. She looked up and there was the handsome man from the bar…the man that she did not get a full glimpse of…the man she had thought was cute.

Her first instinct was to turn this man down as she was still waiting for Angela. "I'm sorry, I'm waiting for my friend. I can't leave because then she won't know where I am, so…sorry," Brennan said, still fidgeting slightly as the man smiled down at her.

"Well, at least do me the honor before the ball drops. I'm right over there with some friends," he replied, pointing to a booth filled with 4 other men.

"Okay. Thank you for the offer, though," Brennan replied. And with that, he smiled and returned to his friends. Brennan stared after him.

"I am SO sorry, sweetie. It was insane over there and this girl completely cut in front of me. She must be doing the bartender," Angela reappeared, a pink drink in each hand.

"Ang, I was getting worried," Brennan told her.

"Still no sign of Booth or Hodgins?" Angela asked, taking a seat next to Brennan and handing her a drink.

Brennan wrinkled her nose as she took a look at the drink in her hand. "What is this, Angela?" she asked, her nose unchanging.

"No questions tonight, sweetie. I buy and you drink. Here, I also got us tiaras," Angela said as she pulled 2 paper tiaras out of her purse. Each were glitterized and said "Happy New Year 2008" on them. "Oh! And these glasses are really cute," she added, pulling 2 "2008" sparkly glasses out of her purse as well.

"You don't actually expect me to wear these, do you?" Brennan asked as she took the tiara and the glasses from her friend.

"At least wear the tiara when it hits midnight," Angela said as she put her own tiara on.

"Okay, whatever you say, right?" Brennan said, raising her eyebrows and smiling at Angela.

"Right. Now…drink," Angela instructed as she took a sip of her own sugary concoction.

Brennan sipped on hers and her nose returned to its previously wrinkled state, but she continued to drink…for Angela.

"Did I see a guy talking to you?" Angela asked suddenly, her interest peaked.

"He asked me to dance," Brennan replied.

"And you said no?" Angela asked, confused.

"I didn't want to leave in case you got back and I wasn't here," Brennan replied.

"I would have found you. Remember what we talked about? You are supposed to loosen up and go with the flow. That's the rule for the night," Angela informed her.

Brennan smiled, amused by her friend's eagerness to socialize her. "Fine. From here on out, I will go with the flow," Brennan replied as she took another sip.

"Fabulous! Once the boys get here…we are going to dance!" Angela said, taking a long sip from her glass.

Brennan opened her mouth to protest, but was unable to get a word out.

"Uh, uh, uh. Remember the rule of the night…and you just promised," Angela reminded her seemingly forgetful best friend.

Brennan sighed and rolled her eyes. "That means I have to do everything you tell me to?" Brennan asked.

"Exactly," Angela replied, her smug smile broadening as she snickered.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"Hey. Sorry for the lateness. Damn cab was late," Hodgins said as he gave Angela a kiss.

Brennan stood to say hi and Hodgins' eyes just about popped out of his head.

"Wow! Dr. Brennan. You look…hot," Hodgins said. "If you had dressed like that 2 years ago, I might have gone after you," he said, smiling teasingly at both of them.

"Oh, thanks. That's real comforting," Angela replied, batting her eyelashes and pursing her lips.

"Booth's gonna flip," Hodgins told them.

Brennan's eyes went wide. "I did not get all dressed up for Booth; I am not doing this for Booth. Why can't you two just come to terms with the fact that we are partners and that he does not think of me in that way nor do I think of him? End of discussion, case closed," Brennan fired back, her eyes growing wider and her voice rising an octave.

"Okay, okay. You don't have to get all…strong and independent," Hodgins said, a half-smile on his face.

"We just want what's best for you," Angela said, a smug look on her face.

"Why don't you let me decide what's best for me?" Brennan replied.

Angela simply smiled and said, "Whatever you say, sweetie."

Brennan was confused, but Angela didn't give her a chance to ask any questions.

"So, where IS Booth?" Angela asked Hodgins.

"How would I know? He said he might not even make it…something with Parker," Hodgins said, shrugging as he smiled at Angela, who returned the expression.

"He told me Parker was with Rebecca in Florida," Brennan chimed in.

Both Angela and Hodgins' faces fell just a little. They had not been expecting that.

"Oh, well. I don't know then," Hodgins replied, rather unintelligently.

"Why wouldn't he come?" Brennan asked, a hint of a nervous quiver in her voice, Angela noted.

"I'm sure he'll be here. Meanwhile, you and I are going to dance," Angela said as she grabbed Brennan's drink from her and handed it to Hodgins. "Hold these, babe?" she practically threw the drinks at Hodgins before grabbing Brennan by the hand.

Brennan began to protest yet again, but remembered the promise she had made Angela and she followed her, hand in hand, bumping into people left and right. Once they had finally made it to the dance floor, Angela started dancing and Brennan simply stood there.

Angela gave Brennan a "what are you doing?" kind of look.

"What? I don't know how to dance to this. What is this, anyway?" Brennan asked, confused.

"It's salsa. And just move your hips to the rhythm. You do have rhythm, right?" Angela asked, smirking at her friend.

"Yes, I have…some rhythm," Brennan replied, her eyes darting towards the dance floor as she attempted to move to the beat of the music. After a few steps, she felt defeated. "This is ridiculous, Ang. I can't dance to this," Brennan said as she began to leave the floor.

Angela grabbed her by the arm. "No quitting. Just…let loose. Don't overthink everything, which I know is difficult seeing how you're a genius and all."

Brennan sighed and smiled sarcastically at her friend. If Booth didn't get here soon, this was going to be a long night.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

An hour and 2 ½ drinks later, Brennan was feeling good, much to Angela's delight. Just as they made their way off of the dance floor for the third time, a familiar face came into sight.

"Booth!" Brennan yelled across the bar. "Booth!" she yelled again after noticing that he was still glancing in every direction. He finally caught sight of them and waved, making his way through the crowd. He was dressed in a silk, purple button down shirt and a pair of slacks. Brennan found herself thinking how handsome he looked.

"Booth, hi," Brennan said as they reached each other. She gave him a slap on the back from behind as if she were a guy.

"Is she drunk?" he asked Angela, who was standing just in front of Brennan.

"No, I'm just a little tipsy. Feel great," Brennan replied. As she finished, Angela stepped out of the way and Booth got his first look at his partner. His eyes scanned from her head down to her, well, hips and he let out a whistle.

"Wow, Bones. I've never seen you so…spirited. And Angela, compliments on the outfit," he said, smiling.

"Oh no, the outfit…was all Brennan," Angela replied, smiling mischievously as she waited for the reaction.

"Really? Well, Bones…you look…great," Booth replied, holding back a bit as he felt a twinge of embarrassment.

"Hot is the word, Booth…hot," Angela instructed him.

Booth gave Angela one of his looks while Brennan seemed to have missed the entire exchange.

"What time is it?" she asked out of the clear blue.

"11:30, why?" Booth replied.

"Just wondering. I told some guy I'd dance with him before midnight," Brennan responded as she reached down to the table and popped a few peanuts into her mouth.

Angela watched Booth's reaction to this news and she liked what she saw.

"Well, I'm going to go find Hodgins. You two have fun. Oh, they're going to start a game of beer pong outside if you want to check it out," Angela informed them, knowing full well that Brennan would not be interested…she just wanted them to be alone with a spectacular view.

"Beer what?" Brennan asked as Angela gave Booth a look and hurried off to "find Hodgins."

Booth was trying not to look at Brennan and her…body, but he was finding this quite difficult given what she was wearing.

"What took you so long?" Brennan inquired, sounding a little whinier than she had hoped.

"What? I had stuff to do for work. We ARE dealing with a serial killer, you know. In fact, I'm shocked to see you out and about. I didn't think Angela was going to be able to convince you to leave the lab," Booth replied.

"I've never been to a New Year's Eve party, so I thought I'd come…I mean, mainly for Angela," Brennan replied, adding the last part a little nervously.

"Really, Bones? You've never been to a New Year's Eve party? Even for you, that's hard to believe," Booth replied, stumbling forward and into Brennan as someone shoved past him.

Their bodies connected and a jolt went surging through both of them, but Booth quickly stepped back as each of them glanced the other way.

"You wanna go outside? It's pretty crazy in here," Booth asked, slightly unnerved.

"Sure. I'm getting sick of this music. I've been attempting to dance to it, but I find that it's fairly pointless," Brennan replied.

Brennan led the way to the terrace where there was a group of people gathered to one side. From what Brennan could see, there were several cups of goldish liquid sitting on a table and a rather large amount of ping pong balls scattered across the table and floor. She furrowed her brow as she and Booth walked past them and to an emptier part of the terrace.

"Ah, the good ole' days of beer pong," Booth said, laughing as they walked. "Idiots," he added.

"You mean, you've actually played this 'game?'" Brennan asked.

"Yeah, college, Bones. It was a requirement," Booth explained.

"So, then…that would make you…an idiot," Brennan replied, smirking at him and quite proud of herself.

"Thanks, Bones. College was a long time ago, by the way," Booth replied.

Brennan chuckled, beaming in the triumph of her comment as Booth rolled his eyes.

Booth found his eyes wander back to her, unable to leave the sight that beheld them.

Brennan noticed his stare. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing, Bones. You just…look…wow," Booth said, a boyish grin illuminating his face.

Brennan felt her face flush and she glanced down, shifting her jaw as she tried to think of something to say.

"No need to get embarrassed, Bones. Just stating the obvious," Booth replied, pulling out his best charm smile.

She smiled through pursed lips and raised her eyebrows. "Thank you," she replied simply.

A few moments passed in silence and Booth turned to lean on the railing of the deck. Brennan joined him a moment later.

"Aren't you cold?" Booth asked her, noticing that she didn't have a jacket on.

"Actually, it feels good. It was stifling in there," Brennan replied.

Booth smiled. "So…what do we do now?" he asked. "I know Angela likes to party, but this isn't exactly my idea of a party," Booth revealed. "My idea of a party is a nice glass of wine, a big screen TV with the Steelers on it, and a few slices of pizza."

"They're a football team, right? From Pittsburgh?" Brennan asked, truly curious.

"Good job, Bones! You make a man proud," Booth said as he elbowed her gently in the arm.

Brennan smiled and chuckled. "You know, Angela means well and I know she wanted me to have a good time," Brennan replied.

"ARE you having a good time?" Booth asked her.

"Now I am," she replied as she glanced at Booth, a small smile on her face. He returned the expression and tilted his head slightly, squinting his eyes as if he were trying to read her mind. After a moment, she looked away and back out at the city. "It really is beautiful up here. I had no idea there was a place like this that overlooked the city," Brennan added.

"Yeah, I used to go mountain biking around here," Booth informed her.

"Mountain biking? You never told me you mountain biked," Brennan responded, thoroughly surprised.

"Yeah, well, I messed up my knee and that was that. There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Bones," he replied, smiling mischievously.

"Really? Like what?" Brennan asked, a smug smirk on her face.

Booth paused for a moment before speaking. "Okay, I admit, you pretty much know everything," he said, leaning in towards her as he flashed yet another charm smile.

She smiled triumphantly, her expression soft.

They stood, gazing at each other in silence for what seemed like too long. Booth's face softened and a small smile played across his lips. Brennan's smile faded ever so slightly as her eyes fell upon her partner's lips. Her breath grew rapid and her chest started to quiver. She thought she knew what was about to happen and yet she couldn't believe it. Should she let it happen? Was she reading Booth correctly? Is this what he wanted? She began to pull away ever so slightly and Booth noticed and he too pulled back.

"Excuse me, but I believe that you promised me a dance and the ball's about to drop," the man interrupted, leaning in to offer his hand to Brennan.

Booth and Brennan stepped away from one another.

"Yes, I guess I did say that, didn't I? Of course," Brennan replied as she gave Booth one last glance before she was whisked away by the man with the wrong intentions, as far as Booth could see.

He let her go, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. He knew he had wanted to kiss her; he had been wanting to kiss her for a while now and tonight in that moment, it had seemed like the perfect time. But something flashed in her eyes…uncertainty. And he knew that he shouldn't push it, even though he was fairly sure that she had wanted it too. And he knew that she wouldn't admit it unless he was the one to bring it up, to show her how she truly felt.

And he knew that there was really only one way to make her see…


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

"I'm glad they changed the music. It makes it easier to dance," Brennan said loudly to her dance partner, who she had found out was named Daniel.

The music choice had changed from salsa to classic '80s.

"It definitely does. So tell me, Temperance, what is a beautiful woman like yourself doing in a crummy bar like this?" Daniel asked, smiling hugely.

"My friend, Angela, wanted me to come out for New Year's Eve. This was her choice," Brennan replied, struggling to keep up with her dance partner, who seemed to have less rhythm than she did. He was strikingly handsome…but then again, so was Booth, she found herself thinking.

"Sweetie!" Angela yelled from across the dance floor as she made her way towards Brennan with Hodgins in hand. "You have to have your tiara, here," Angela said as she placed the tiara atop Brennan's head. "Where's Booth? And who's this guy?" Angela said, clearly upset that it was not Booth that Brennan was dancing with.

"I'm Daniel, hi," he replied, extending his hand, which Angela did not accept.

"Yeah, hi there. Sorry, but you-" Angela's comment was inaudible as the entire bar began shouting the countdown as they watched Times Square on the televisions.

"20! 19! 18!"

Daniel leaned in to Brennan's ear so she could hear him. "You know, it's tradition to kiss when the clock hits midnight," he said, smiling eagerly and seductively at her.

"16! 15! 14!"

Brennan's eyes widened and she only half-smiled back at him. And suddenly, her smile faded as she thought back to Booth, who was standing out on the terrace alone. She turned her body away from Daniel as her mind centered on Booth. She didn't know this Daniel guy and frankly, she didn't care. She felt bad for leaving Booth.

"11! 10! 9!"

Angela had joined in the countdown after seeing Brennan turn away from the guy. She could tell she wasn't interested. And after she had laid eyes on something else in the room, she knew she didn't have to worry.

"6! 5! 4!"

And there he was. Booth appeared in front of Brennan and before she could react, he grabbed her hand and led her quickly to the terrace, which was only a few feet away.

"Booth, what are you-" but she couldn't finish.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards him and into his lips.

"1! Happy New Year!!!" the crowd shouted as couples kissed and the fireworks began to go off. But Booth and Brennan did not hear the crowd and they did not see the fireworks.

He held onto her tightly and she didn't pull away. She let her eyes flutter shut as her lips melded into his. Their bodies pressed together as their lips interlocked.

Angela was watching the entire thing and just as Daniel was about to head out to the terrace to protest, she flung her arm in front of his chest.

"Whoa there, buddy. Trust me, you do not want to do that. Now…scram," Angela said in a defiant tone and with a devious smile on her face and after a second, Daniel took one more look at Brennan and left.

Brennan was breathless…and extremely confused. "Wha-? Booth, why did you-" she began to rationalize, but was stopped by his hand on her lips.

He smiled adoringly at her. "Shh. It's New Year's, Bones. You're supposed to kiss," Booth replied, a smirk on his face.

Brennan's demeanor changed drastically as the reality of the situation hit her.

"It's tradition, right. I knew that," Brennan replied, slightly above a whisper as she glanced away.

"I thought I'd, you know, save you from that guy. He seemed a little…sleezy," Booth said as he stepped away, his eyes darting around as he suddenly became embarrassed. But his heart continued to race.

Brennan looked to Booth, confused beyond all thought. She felt that they had been extremely close to kissing earlier and now that Booth had done what he had done, she didn't know what to think. Apparently, he was just being a good friend and she was grateful as she had not been enjoying her time with Daniel. It had felt like more than that…but then again, she was quite bad at reading people.

"Thanks," she replied, glancing to Booth and then back to the floor, her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. She shivered.

"You must be freezing. Want to go back inside? Get your jacket?" Booth suggested.

"Yeah. I'm actually ready to leave. I should find Angela," Brennan said as she made her way to the door.

"Yeah, okay," he replied as he let Brennan brush past him on their way back inside. He sighed and shook his head. "Nice…real nice. The New Year's excuse," he muttered to himself as he followed Brennan, his face to the sky and his eyes rolling in his head.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Angela was beaming when Brennan found her. "So, can I break out the champagne for the two of you?" she asked, her eyes sparkling and her teeth glowing.

"What do you mean?" Brennan asked, genuinely. "I don't need any more alcohol and I'm ready to go home," Brennan replied, erasing the smile from Angela's face.

Booth walked up a second later.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe Booth could take you home. We only have one car since Hodgins took a cab. Thought it might be easier," Angela replied. She wasn't going to give up just yet.

Brennan glanced quickly at Booth, who smiled nervously.

"Yeah, that's fine. Let me go pull up the car," Booth said quickly and disappeared among the crowd.

Angela looked to Brennan. "You and Booth kissed. On the lips. I saw it all," she said, realizing that Brennan had probably freaked out.

"Yeah. Everyone kisses on New Year's. Anthropologically speaking, all cultures hold to certain traditions, and-" Brennan began to explain rationally.

"Bren, sweetie…are you sure that's all it was?" Angela asked, desperately wanting her to realize her true feelings.

"Ang, it was simply a practice of a seasonal norm, nothing more.Kind of like mistletoe at Christmas," Brennan replied, trying to convince herself more than anything.

"Right," Angela said, disappointed. "Fine, I'll go with it. But will you do me a favor?" Angela asked, her eyes resembling a puppy dog's.

Brennan sighed and rolled her eyes. "What, Angela?"

"Let him take you home and don't overthink what just happened and just…feel. And if you feel something, don't push it away…embrace it. And if you don't feel anything, fine. But just see…okay?" Angela told her friend.

Brennan's eyes widened and her lips pursed and she sighed again. "Embrace it, right," Brennan replied as Booth reappeared at the entrance, waving to Brennan.

The two women looked over and Angela gave Brennan one last look of support.

"Good night, Angela. Thanks for bringing me out," Brennan said and gave her friend a hug. "Tell Hodgins bye."

"You're welcome. And don't forget what I said," Angela reminded her.

"I won't," Brennan replied as she headed for what could turn out to be the most awkward situation she had ever been put in.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

You could hear a pin drop in the SUV.

Brennan stared out of the window with her arms folded across her chest while Booth remained unusually focused on the road.

After about 10 minutes, Booth finally decided to break the silence.

"So, what's your New Year's resolution, Bones?" Booth asked, smiling and trying to lighten the mood.

"I…don't really have one," Brennan replied, still staring out of the window.

"Aw, come on, Bones. You have to have a New Year's resolution. Everyone's got a New Year's resolution," Booth responded.

"Well…I don't. Why, what's yours?" she asked, now turning to look at him.

"Well, there's the usual 'eat healthier and catch more bad guys.' And then there's the really important stuff," Booth told her.

"Like what?" she asked.

Booth paused as a smile found its way to his lips, but he managed not to say what he had truly wanted to say to her. "I'd like to spend more time with Parker. That'd have to be my number one," Booth replied, looking over at Brennan, who, much to his surprise, was smiling back at him.

"That's a good one to have," Brennan replied.

"Yeah, well. I'm his dad, you know…" Booth said, more to himself than to her.

"Yeah…I know," Brennan replied simply.

"I should be with him more," Booth said, a little agitated. "And Rebecca has to go and take him with her and Drew to Florida. Who goes to Disneyworld for New Year's?" Booth blurted out, now even more agitated.

"I imagine a lot of people do," Brennan answered as if Booth had actually been serious.

"Bones, I realize people go—you know what, nevermind," Booth responded after seeing that it was no use venting to his partner. She wouldn't understand.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Brennan asked, confused.

"No, Bones…You didn't do anything. Just forget it, okay?" Booth replied, looking back to her.

"Okay…" Brennan replied, still staring at him and wondering exactly what had just happened.

A few seconds passed as Brennan returned to staring out the window and Booth's eyes returned to the road. And then Booth spoke again.

"You know, she could have at least let me spend ALL of Christmas with him when she knew she was going to be gone for 5 days with him," Booth said, not taking his eyes off the road. "Not even ALL, but you know, maybe a few more hours at least?"

Brennan looked at him, but did not speak at first. And then, "You should tell her," Brennan offered.

Booth looked to her. "What?" he asked.

"Tell her how you feel and that you'd like more time with him. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. I mean, you're a great father and she knows that. I bet she'd be fine with you picking him up more often or taking him to the park instead of Drew," Brennan suggested.

Booth looked to her, quite shocked that she had even been listening and that she actually had good advice on the topic. He smiled, happily surprised with her interest.

"Yeah…you're right. I should talk to her. I WILL talk to her," Booth replied, looking back to the road as he nodded his head and then back to Brennan. He smiled again. "Thanks, Bones."

"No need to thank me. Just…a suggestion," she replied, shrugging.

A few moments passed in silence before Booth spoke, "You really think I'm a good father?" he asked with complete and total sincerity.

Brennan looked over at him and into his eyes and she knew that he was being serious. To her, it was obvious that he was a good father. How could he not see it, too?

"Yes. You are a wonderful father. Parker worships you," she replied, smiling softly.

"Thanks, Bones," he replied as he pulled the car over in front of Brennan's apartment building.

Brennan's smile faded as her eyes darted away to her purse as she grabbed it. Booth continued to smile at her for a moment before realizing that it might be awkward and then he too, looked away.

"See you tomorrow?" Brennan asked as she unfastened her seatbelt.

"Bright and early," Booth said, mocking cheerfulness.

"Okay. Good night," she said, looking at him one last time as she opened the door and hopped out. Just before she could close it, Booth's voice stopped her.

"Hey, Bones?" he said, quizzically.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"We're okay, right?" he asked.

Brennan stared into his eyes for a moment before replying, "Of course."

Booth smiled as he nodded. "Good. Just making sure…Good night, Bones."

"'Night, Booth," she replied as she began to shut the door. A thought popped into her head and she turned around. She smiled as she spoke, "Here, I think these will look better on you or Parker," she said as she pulled the "2008" glasses out of her purse and handed them to Booth.

He laughed as he put them on, the "00" covering both of his eyes and the "2" and "8" on either side of his face. They were decked out in silver and purple glitter.

"How do I look?" Booth said in an indiscernible accent, raising one eyebrow.

Brennan laughed. "Very…bedazzling," she replied, pausing a few seconds before continuing, "Good night, Booth."

"Good night, Bones," he replied.

With that, she shut the door and made her way to the front of the building.

Booth watched her enter the building and he didn't leave until he saw the light in her apartment flick on.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"So? How'd it go?" Angela was beaming as she bounced through Brennan's office door the next morning.

Brennan furrowed her brow. "How did what go?" she asked, genuinely and not taking her eyes off of her computer screen.

Angela's face fell. "Are you kidding? Of course you're not. Last night…Booth…kiss…New Year's. Any of that ring a bell?" Angela responded.

Brennan looked at her friend intently. "I don't know what you mean by a bell ringing, but nothing happened. He took me home," she replied.

Angela made a face. "Well, THAT'S exciting," she said, sarcasm dripping.

"Look, Ang, I'm sorry that I couldn't come in here this morning and tell you that we 'hooked up.' But you know it's not like that," Brennan said, standing with papers in her hand and walking to a filing cabinet.

"DO I know that?" Angela asked, smirking.

Brennan looked at her in her classic Brennan way. "Yes…you do."

"You didn't embrace it, did you? You pushed it away," Angela said almost as if she were accusing Brennan of something terrible.

"I didn't push anything away. There was nothing TO push away. And exactly how long is this going to go on before you—and Hodgins—realize that we are JUST partners?" Brennan asked, her eyebrows raised as she spoke defiantly.

Angela glared at her best friend for a few seconds. She loved her, but she could be so DAMN stubborn some…most of the time.

"Ugh. I was so hoping for a better start to my day. Call me when you need a face," Angela said, sounding dejected, as she waved a hand at Brennan on her way out of her office.

Brennan simply stared after her.

Just as Angela was walking by, Booth appeared in the entryway.

"You!" she yelled, pointing directly at him.

Booth's face was one of confusion. "What?"

"You used the 'New Year's Excuse,' didn't you?" Angela inquired, fully in tune with what was going on.

"What? What are you talking about?" Booth replied, pretending to be oblivious.

"Last night…with the kiss. You told Brennan it was because it was New Year's-"

"It WAS New Year's and that guy she was with clearly wanted only ONE thing from her," Booth replied, his face scrunching as he thought of the guy.

"Yeah…and I'm the Queen of England," Angela replied, giving him the eye. "You know how she is, all afraid of her emotions. Of course if you told her that, she was going to believe you. She's terrible at reading people. You of ALL people…should know that," Angela preached at him, barely getting a chance to breathe.

"Why do I feel like I'm in the principal's office?" Booth asked, avoiding the confrontation.

"Will you just…talk to her? Please?" Angela asked. "And since when are you afraid of your emotions too?" she added.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked her.

"If you don't know what that means, then I REALLY can't help you…or her," Angela replied. "She's in her office," she added, a small smile returning to her face.

Booth looked Angela in the eyes for the first time. She raised one eyebrow as he tossed his lucky poker chip in the air, catching it and grasping it tightly before heading for Brennan's office.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

"Happy New Year, Bones," Booth said cheerily as he strutted into her office and tossed his poker chip in the air.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, blatantly.

"Well, nice to see you too," Booth replied.

"Do we have a break in the case?" she asked, seriously.

"Do I have to have a reason to come and see my favorite anthropologist?" Booth asked, a charm smile sparkling.

"You usually have one," Brennan replied, rationally.

"Not always. Just wanted to see what was shakin'," Booth replied, nervously as he made a strange motion with his hands on the word "shakin'."

Brennan just stared, a wrinkle in her brow. "You're acting weird," she observed.

"Me? Weird? Nah, I don't think so," Booth replied, still smiling.

"Yes, you are. Are you drunk?" Brennan asked, her brow even more furrowed.

"It's 8:30 in the morning, Bones, of course I'm not drunk," Booth replied as he fell onto her couch.

"Just wondering," Brennan replied as she closed the filing cabinet. "It would explain the irrational behavior."

"Bones, my behavior isn't irrational. I was just…trying to be lighthearted. But I guess THAT didn't work," he replied. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother," he added, standing from the couch.

"What does that mean?" Brennan asked, her voice rising an octave.

"Nothing, Bones. I'll get out of your way and call you when we have something," Booth said as he turned to leave.

Brennan closed her eyes and sighed. "Booth…you don't have to leave," she said.

Booth stopped and turned back to Brennan, his mind returning to his conversation with Angela.

After a moment, Booth became more serious. "Listen, Bones…about last night," he began to say, his eyes glancing down at the floor and then back up.

"What about it?" Brennan inquired.

"You know, the whole…well…countdown and me grabbing you and-"

"Kissing me?" Brennan interrupted.

"Yeah…that," Booth said simply, slightly thrown off by her comment.

"Like you said…tradition," Brennan replied, shrugging it off.

"Yeah, well…see, I wasn't really…well, I didn't mean to-"

"Kiss me? 'Cause it sure felt like you meant to kiss me," Brennan interrupted yet again.

"No, I wasn't gonna say that. And for the record, you did kiss me back," Booth replied as he moved towards her.

"I was simply…responding to the…stimuli…that was presented…to me," Brennan sputtered. "And you kissed me first!" she added, her voice rising yet again.

"It doesn't matter if I kissed you first-"

"Yes, it does. It matters. You were the one-"

"Oh, now it matters. It didn't seem to matter last night," Booth fired back, still moving towards her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Brennan asked, leaning her head back as Booth's face was now only inches from hers.

"You kissed me back!" Booth insisted.

"You already said that and I already addressed it. And really, Booth, you can't just go around kissing-"

And his lips were on hers. His hands on either side of her face, he kissed her deeply and she sunk into it for 2 seconds before rationale came back into play. She grabbed his hands and pulled them off of her.

"Will you stop kissing me?!" Brennan shouted, her face now a very vivid shade of crimson.

Booth saw the look on her face and all he could do was chuckle, smiling brightly.

"What?!" Brennan shouted, trying not to make eye contact with him.

"Just wanted to shut you up," Booth replied, snickering.

Brennan's jaw dropped open and her eyes flashed as she reached to her desk chair and grabbed her jacket, heaving it directly at Booth and hitting her target with great accuracy.

Booth didn't even have time to duck as the zipper hit him smack in the nose.

"Ouch, Bones! Geez!" Booth responded, holding the jacket as he rubbed his nose.

The expression on Brennan's face did not change much in the next 8 seconds.

"Dr. Brennan. Is everything okay?" Zach appeared in the doorway, a concerned look on his face.

She turned towards him. "Everything is FINE, Zach," she replied, arms crossed defiantly as she shot Booth a look before starting out of her office. "Do you have something for me?" she asked Zach.

"Yes, it's the patella. I can't discern the markings," Zach informed her.

"I'll take a look," Brennan replied, pursing her lips and glaring back at Booth, a small triumphant smirk on her face…and her face still bright red.

Booth watched her leave before placing her jacket back on the chair. He had gotten to her and that fact in itself had just made his whole day.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

They didn't talk for nearly 2 days.

Brennan had been avoiding him and Booth had been giving her her space.

It was 6:30 in the evening on January 3rd when Brennan's office phone rang. Her focus was on the paperwork in front of her and the ringing was interrupting her thought process. She finally looked over to the phone on the 4th ring. She frowned as she read the caller ID: "Pay Phone 555-2529." After a slight hesitation, she picked up the receiver.

"Brennan," she said.

"How 'bout a cup of coffee?" the voice on the other end was cheery and enthusiastic.

"Booth? Why are you calling me from a pay phone?" she asked her partner, suddenly wishing she had ignored the annoying ringing.

"Thought you might be screening your calls since I haven't gotten through to you in the past day and a half," Booth replied, mocking accusation.

"I've been busy getting these IDs from Limbo and I also-"

"Sure, Bones, whatever. Meet me for coffee?" he asked again.

"Why do you want to get coffee?" Brennan inquired, seriously.

He had thought she might ask that and he was prepared.

"There are no murders, Bones," he replied.

"What do you mean there are-" she began, thoroughly confused.

"You said you'd have a cup of coffee with me if there were no murders," Booth replied, smoothly.

"There are still plenty of murders, Booth," Brennan replied, quite literally under the impression that Booth had lost all sense of reality.

"Not for us…not right now. No cases means no murders to solve…for us…you and me. So, I'll ask again: will you have coffee with me?" he was way past prepared and he found himself smiling at his partner's apparent speechlessness.

After a few moments, Brennan finally spoke, "That isn't rational, Booth," she said, trying not to give in as she broke a smile.

"It's perfectly rational…and you haven't answered the question," Booth replied, still smiling to himself.

Brennan sighed. "Fine. On one condition," Brennan replied.

Booth was not expecting this. What condition could she possibly have?

"What?" he asked.

"You promise not to kiss me again," Brennan demanded.

Booth rolled his eyes. "Are you serious? You're going to make me promise that?" Booth asked.

"Well, it seems to be your...thing now. Like your flashy ties and your rebellious socks," Brennan replied, half-smiling, but still serious.

"What? No it's not. It's just been…you know…tradition. It was New Year's-" he was cut off.

"And the second time?" Brennan inquired.

Booth paused as his face scrunched. "Like I said, I had to shut you up," he replied. "And I have a bump on my nose from your jacket zipper, so I don't think I'll be trying that again," Booth replied, successfully addressing the question without officially answering it. Hopefully, she would accept it.

"So, is that a promise then?" she asked, smirking.

Booth rolled his eyes yet again. "Yeah, Bones. Whatever you say. Meet at Montague's in 20 minutes?" he asked.

She didn't have to see him to know that he was wearing a full on charm smile.

"30. I have to talk to Angela on the way out," Brennan replied.

"See ya then," Booth replied and he hung up, suddenly worried that he had made a promise he wasn't sure he could keep.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

"Talked to Booth yet?" Angela asked as she strolled into Brennan's office.

"Hi. I was just on my way to see you before I left," Brennan replied, standing from her chair and walking towards Angela.

"And here I am. Have you talked to Booth yet?" Angela repeated herself.

"As a matter of fact, I just got off the phone with him, so you can stop your little stalking game you've been playing," Brennan replied as she grabbed her jacket.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Angela replied, smiling smugly as she batted her eyelashes.

Brennan half-smiled, knowing full well that Angela had taken any and every opportunity to eavesdrop on any and every phone call that Brennan had had over the past day and a half. Angela would waltz in to "complain" about Hodgins, strut in to share juicy gossip, and flounce in with any other excuse to see if Brennan was on the phone or had been on the phone.

"I'm meeting him for coffee, if you must know," Brennan told her over-eager friend.

"Oooo…coffee. That's progress since you two haven't talked for 2 days," Angela replied.

"See, I knew you were spying on me," Brennan shot back.

"Oh, I wasn't spying…just checking in every now and then," Angela replied, leaning on Brennan's desk.

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Even I could tell what you were doing. Guess you're losing your touch," Brennan said, smiling a "so there" look at Angela.

"So, what did our favorite FBI agent say to make you actually leave this cave of yours?" Angela asked her.

Brennan hesitated for a moment. "Nothing. I just felt like getting out. I've been stuck in Limbo for nearly a week and I guess it's starting to suck me in," Brennan replied, trying to hurry as she grabbed her things.

Angela noticed the sudden rush of movement. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Brennan replied.

"You said you were on your way to see me. Since I know you weren't coming to get a face from me since we don't have a case, that means something must be on your mind," Angela said. She wasn't going to let Brennan get away that easily.

Brennan hesitated yet again as she slung her purse over her shoulder. She looked at her friend, who was gazing at her eagerly (and knowingly) and she realized that there was no way around it. Brennan wasn't very good at acting anyway and an act was most definitely not going to work on Angela.

"I was actually going to tell you that…well," Brennan began and she stumbled over her words, her eyes darting to the floor and then back to Angela, "don't take this to mean something because…it doesn't. But I just wanted to tell you and I would appreciate it if you could remain as objective as possible…meaning I would like for you not to freak out," Brennan rambled as Angela watched her, smiling wholeheartedly at her best friend's inability to talk about her feelings.

"Anything for you, sweetie. What is it?" Angela asked.

Brennan sighed and pursed her lips. "He kissed me again."

And Angela nearly broke her word as her face burst into the biggest smile Brennan had ever seen. Yet, she managed to contain her excitement in order to actually speak to her friend, who quite obviously needed her right now.

"Really? When, where, and what were the circumstances?" Angela asked as objectively as possible (yet still unable to remove the giant grin plastered on her face).

"Ang, will you stop smiling like that? Like I told you, it doesn't mean anything. He said that he was just trying to shut me up because we were arguing about kissing the other night-"

"Wait, you kissed the other night?" Angela asked, wondering how she had missed out on this one.

"No, Ang. I mean on New Year's. It's only happened twice. And I made him promise that he wouldn't do it again," Brennan replied, adding the last part with a defiant stare and a finger pointed in the air.

"Okay, let me get this straight. He kissed you to get you to shut up because you were arguing…about kissing? And you haven't talked to him in 2 days because you've been avoiding him and he's wanted you to have your space?" Angela inquired, knowing full well what the answers were.

"Ang! That is not being objective! That was a subjective statement based upon your perspective of the situation and I-"

"Bren…stop talking," Angela interrupted.

Brennan stared wide-eyed at her, but she promptly stopped talking.

Angela placed her hands on Brennan's crossed elbows. "Just think a little about what I said on New Year's. I know you said you didn't feel anything, but…try again. Please? You're meeting him for coffee, right? So, do me one huge, ginormous, favor," Angela said, looking Brennan straight in the eyes.

Brennan tilted her head to the side and shifted her weight. "What?" she said, sighing as she closed and then reopened her eyes.

"Don't talk about anything relating to work," she demanded.

"I don't think that's possible, Angela. What else could we possibly have to talk about?" Brennan asked, seemingly dumbfounded.

"You two are always going for coffee or pie or Thai. It's not like this is anything new, so talk about what you talk about then," Angela replied.

"We talk about cases when we have coffee. Work. It's all work-related," Brennan tried to explain.

"Really? Everything you talk about has to do with murders and killers? I find that extremely hard to believe…and extremely depressing," Angela added, her face scrunched. "You and I talk about plenty of things that don't have to do with work," Angela replied.

"Yeah, but you're my best friend. Booth's just…my partner…at work," Brennan attempted to explain herself rationally, but realized halfway through her statement that her choice of words had not been very intelligent.

"He's also your friend. Bren, he's been there for you more than…well, more than anyone ever has, including me. You have to know that," Angela told Brennan in a firm tone.

Brennan looked at her as the wheels in her large brain started to turn. As usual, Angela was right. Booth had done so much for her and she truly believed that he would never do anything to hurt her…but there was always that fear, that doubt deep down that somehow, some way, there was a possibility that he could let her down. And she could not live with that.

"I do…know that. I just…" and her voice trailed off as her eyes found the floor again.

Angela sensed her unease and decided to continue, "I think that if you start talking about other stuff, you'll find out you might just be more than 'partners at work.' And I'm not saying this as someone who would love nothing more than to see you two ride off into the sunset together…I'm saying this as your best friend who thinks she really and truly might be onto something here," Angela told Brennan as sincerely as she could.

Brennan took a moment to process the information she had just received. Angela was being completely serious, that she could tell. She thought about it and rationally, Angela was right. The most logical thing to do would be to let her guard down and see what happened. But this was Booth and this was different. Something was different about her entire relationship with him. And THAT in itself scared her to death.

"I really don't know, Ang," Brennan finally replied, looking at her friend through an uncertain stare.

Angela saw the insecurity in her friend's face and she truly felt for her. She knew Brennan was struggling; she knew that Brennan wasn't used to getting close to anyone; she knew that if anyone could change her way of thinking, it was Booth.

"I know it's hard, Bren. You've been betrayed before and I know that you don't even know if you can trust your own feelings. So, what I'm asking you to do is to trust MY feelings…because they generally tend to be accurate," Angela replied, smiling softly.

Brennan's face softened a bit and she knew deep down that Angela was right…Angela was always right, she also began to realize.

"I guess it's true that you've never steered me wrong," Brennan replied. "Except when you took me to that club," she added, a wrinkle in her brow.

"Oh no, sweetie, that was all you," Angela replied as she placed her hands on Brennan's shoulders. "Now go meet Booth before he calls asking where in the hell you are," she told her as she began to maneuver Brennan out of the office.

"Alright, I'm going," Brennan replied as she broke free from Angela's grasp. After taking a few more steps out of her office, she turned back to Angela. She paused. "Thank you," she said, smiling softly.

"You're welcome," Angela replied, sincerely.

Brennan smiled back at her friend for a moment before turning to leave. She hesitated for another moment, but then took a breath and headed for the parking garage.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Booth sat at a table, fiddling with a sugar packet. He was slouched slightly, having been there for nearly 15 minutes. His spirits were beginning to sink.

The bell attached to the front door of the coffee shop rang and Booth's head shot up, his attention zooming to the door. A couple holding hands walked through, smiling and blissful. Booth grimaced. Where is she? I should call her. No, no I shouldn't. Booth's brain was on overdrive, wondering why Bones was not there yet and worrying that she and Angela had gotten into a deep conversation about HIS conversation with her the other day…and his palms were sweating. He didn't think that Angela would tell her that they talked, but then again, Angela could be unpredictable.

I'm gonna call her Just as he reached for his cell phone, the bell jingled again and in walked Brennan. She glanced around and Booth threw his hand into the air, waving her over as he returned his cell phone to his pant pocket.

He straightened and stood up as Brennan approached. They had had coffee dozens of times, but for some reason, this felt different.

"Hey, Bones. I was starting to get worried," Booth said as she walked up.

"Sorry. I was talking to Angela. It took a little longer than I had originally anticipated," Brennan replied as she took a seat in a rather decorative chair.

"Yeah? What did you all…talk about?" Booth inquired, smiling slightly and trying to be subtle.

Brennan furrowed her brow as she shifted her jaw. "Oh, you know…girl stuff," Brennan replied, her eyes darting away.

"Right, of course," Booth replied, smiling a little awkwardly.

Silence ensued as Brennan glanced around the coffee shop. It was quite different than any coffee shop she had been in. Every table was different and many looked to be antiques. Other decorative chairs like her own were scattered throughout along with cushioned chairs and even more decorative sofas. There was a fireplace along one wall. The shop was still decorated for Christmas with twinkly lights and garland hanging from the walls. A small tree sat in one corner, adorned with ornaments and strands of popcorn. Mistletoe hung in each of the 4 corners. There was also a Chanukah menorah on the fireplace mantle, alongside a Santa snow globe.

"Why didn't we go to the Royal Diner?" Brennan inquired.

"Eh, we always go there. Thought we'd try something new. This place is, oh, I don't know…cozier?" Booth replied, smiling softly at Brennan.

Brennan smiled back and nodded slightly. "Yes, it really is."

Their eyes locked for a few seconds.

"Can I get you two anything?" a waitress interrupted.

Brennan broke the gaze and looked to the waitress. "Uh, yeah. I'll just have a regular coffee with milk instead of cream," she replied and looked to Booth.

"Aw, come on Bones, that's what you always get. Look at their espresso menu. Try something new," Booth prodded, smiling brightly as he lifted the menu in the air for her to see.

"Why, what are you having?" Brennan asked, that soft smile she quite often wore blatantly evident.

Booth smiled and then looked back to the waitress. "I'll have the amaretto cappuccino, extra whipped cream and does that come with the little cookie thing?" Booth asked.

"You mean a pirouette? Yeah, it comes with that," the waitress replied.

"Yeah, I'd like an extra one. And I'll have a hot cinnamon roll, extra icing," Booth added, folding his hands in front of him on the table and looking back to Brennan, a giant smile on his face.

Brennan smiled, a small laugh escaping her lips. "I'll have the same," she replied.

"Just so you know, the cinnamon roll is pretty big. That's what all the couples in here usually get," the waitress informed them, completely convinced that they too were a couple.

Brennan glanced away again, the smile erased from her face.

Booth noticed her unease, but he continued none the less, "Sure, one will be just fine then."

The waitress left and Booth looked back to Brennan, who was still avoiding eye contact.

Booth let another moment pass as he stared at her. "Are you still cold? Do you want to move by the fireplace?" Booth asked, hoping she would say yes.

"I'm fine. I've got my jacket," she replied curtly.

"Right….So, what have you been doing?" Booth asked in an attempt to start some sort of conversation. This was proving to be quite difficult as Brennan did not seem to want to elaborate on much.

"I've been in Limbo," Brennan replied, looking to Booth and then back down to the table. She was being literal, but she knew that her statement definitely had a double meaning.

"Wow, that sounds like fun," Booth said, the sarcasm obvious.

"Definitely not fun. But someone has to do it," Brennan replied as though she had taken his comment seriously.

Booth stared at her for a long few moments until she looked up to meet his gaze.

"What?" she asked, a little startled. He had that look in his eyes, that puppy dog look that she could never refuse. "What?" she asked again after he didn't respond.

He continued to smile. "Nothing. I was just thinking that this is nice. You…me…coffee," he replied, still grinning girlishly.

She smiled back. "Well, technically, we don't have any coffee yet," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

As if on cue, the waitress walked up with a tray. "Here you are," she said as she placed a mug in front of each of them. "Your cinnamon roll will be up in a minute."

"Like I said…you…me, and coffee," Booth said, pointing to the coffee.

"Ha-ha," Brennan replied as she grabbed hold of the mug. It was warm and she was freezing, having lied to Booth about her body temperature.

Brennan took a sip of the frothy beverage, her hands wrapped around the mug, making her even warmer. As she set the mug down, Booth let out a laugh.

"What?" Brennan asked, quite confused.

Booth laughed again. "Nothing, nothing," he replied, still smirking.

"Booth, what is it? Stop laughing at me," Brennan replied, her eyes wide.

Booth stopped laughing for a moment as he pointed to Brennan's nose, which was covered with whipped cream. "You got a little something…right there," Booth informed her and he couldn't keep from smiling.

Brennan's eyes crossed as she looked at the tip of her nose, swatting at it and wiping the whipped cream off with her hand. She began to feel quite toasty as her face turned red. She rolled her eyes as Booth continued to snicker.

"Stop it!" she ordered again, this time through a laugh herself.

"What? It was funny," Booth said. "And cute," he added, still beaming from ear to ear.

Brennan's face turned a shade darker.

"Alright, here you go. One cinnamon roll," the waitress reappeared with a rather large plate. She set it in the middle of the table and placed two forks and two knives in front of both of them. "Enjoy."

Brennan's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "That is the biggest cinnamon roll I have ever seen," she observed, her mouth slightly ajar.

"Yeah, bet it's super yummy, too," Booth replied, smiling like a little boy.

A crease formed in Brennan's forehead. "'Super yummy?' What are you, 5?" Brennan asked, smirking.

"Hey, I'm channeling my son," Booth replied, shrugging as he picked up his fork and knife. "Dig in, Bones," he instructed, smiling oh so sweetly at her.

Brennan's face was soft and she continued to gaze at Booth for a few moments before picking up her own fork and knife.

Each of them dug into the cinnamon roll. Booth's eyes fluttered shut as he chewed.

"Oh yeah. Now THAT is Heaven," Booth said mid-bite.

"Really? That good, huh?" Brennan replied as she swallowed.

"Well, it's not as good as…well, some other things I could think of," Booth replied, wiping his mouth with his napkin as he gazed intensely at Brennan.

Brennan simply smiled. "But it's still pretty good," she replied.

"Yeah…it's really good," Booth said, holding her gaze.

They both smiled as silence returned. But this was a comforting silence and they both relished in it as they lost themselves in the rest of their cinnamon roll.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

**THIS IS IT: THE FINAL CHAPTER! **

**And I have to say thank you all for the wonderful reviews! And to BlueTigress…you are psychic!**

Only a few crumbs remained. Both mugs were drained and Booth and Brennan sat slightly slumped in their chairs.

"I am not eating anything for a week," Booth said as he leaned back, a strained look on his face.

"That's not very rational," Brennan replied, simply.

"Bones, I don't literally mean that I'm not going to eat-" he stopped talking as he saw a grin spread across his partner's face. The furrow in his brow deepened and he nearly rolled his eyes. "You're funny…so funny."

Brennan leaned in over the table. "Thank you," she replied, smiling smugly.

"You two need anything else?" the waitress asked.

"Just a check," Booth replied.

"Here ya go. You pay up front," she replied, setting the piece of paper down and disappearing again.

They reached for it at the same time.

"Ah, ah, ah. I invited you. This is my treat," Booth said as he picked up her hand and returned it to her side of the table.

"Booth, I can pay for-"

"Bones…my treat. Just let this one go," Booth told her as he reached into his pocket for his wallet.

Brennan didn't push it. "Thank you," she replied.

"You're welcome, Bones," Booth said, smiling sweetly and surprised that she had given in that easily.

"I had a good time tonight, Booth," Brennan said suddenly, her smile soft and her eyes glistening.

Booth smiled back. "I'm glad, Bones. I did, too," he replied.

They continued to smile at each other for a few long moments until Brennan broke the gaze.

"You ready to go?" she asked.

Booth leaned back. "Yeah. It's getting late," Booth replied, standing from his chair.

"It's only 9," Brennan replied matter-of-factly as she stood as well.

Booth paused before responding as it had simply been something to say to ease the tension in the air.

"Yeah, well, I'm tired," Booth retorted.

He strode past Brennan and to the cashier and she followed, shrugging off his last couple of comments.

He handed the bill and a credit card to the cashier.

"How was everything?" the woman asked.

"Fine, thank you," Booth replied.

"Your cinnamon rolls are fantastic," Brennan informed the cashier.

"Thanks. We make them right here," the cashier replied, smiling a little too cheerily as she handed Booth his credit card and receipt. He stared down at the piece of paper for a moment, calculating the tip in his head.

Brennan watched him. Glancing down at the receipt, she stepped forward and leaned in towards his ear. "$3.50," she told him.

"Hey, I know how to calculate a tip, okay?" Booth replied, defensively.

"Okay. It just seemed like you were taking a while," Brennan responded. She took a step to his left side and waited as he signed the slip of paper and handed it to the cashier.

She took it with a smile and as he gave her the pen, her smile widened. "Aw, look, you two are under the mistletoe," she said with a gooey whine in her voice.

Booth and Brennan looked above their heads in perfect unison. And then their gazes fell upon each other. Booth smiled weakly while Brennan pursed her lips and glanced down at the floor.

"You know, each couple that kisses under the mistletoe gets a free pastry. And you get a complimentary picture to take home," the cashier said, joyfully as she pulled out a Polaroid camera.

"Christmas is over," Brennan pointed out.

"It runs 'til the 5th," the cashier replied, still beaming.

Booth smiled crookedly again, at a loss for words and what to do. Brennan glanced sideways at him and then she smiled, looking back to the cashier.

"Can we get a cinnamon roll?" Brennan asked, sounding quite sincere. Booth's face wrinkled as he tried to comprehend his partner's last words.

"Absolutely," the cashier replied.

Brennan paused for a moment before looking to Booth, whose face was blanketed with confusion. And after another second, Brennan leaned in, grabbed Booth's shoulders and kissed him. Booth didn't know what hit him. His initial reaction was to jump backwards, but her lips were so soft and electricity went surging through him and he kissed her back.

Brennan sunk into the kiss much more than she had thought she would and she did not want to move. It wasn't until a light flashed brightly that they broke the kiss…overall, a good 5 seconds.

"Awww…that was SO cute! Here's your picture. And I'll get your cinnamon roll," the cashier spoke up as she set the picture on the counter in front of them and then disappeared.

They gazed at each other for another few seconds before Brennan glanced away, nervously reaching for the picture.

"Hey, why do you get to keep the picture?" Booth asked, sounding quite disappointed.

"I'm not keeping it, I'm going to throw it away," Brennan replied.

"What? Why?" Booth asked, confused (and again, disappointed).

"Can you imagine if Angela got a hold of this? We'd never hear the end of it," Brennan replied as she grabbed the photo. It still hadn't developed quite yet.

"Yeah, but-" Booth began, but was unable to finish.

"Here you go! Would you like this for here or to go?" the cashier asked.

"To go," Brennan replied quickly.

The cashier placed the cinnamon roll in a bag as Booth stood there, speechless and extremely confused about what had just happened.

"Have a good night!" the cashier added, beaming at both of them.

"Thank you," Brennan replied as she grabbed the bag and started for the door.

It wasn't until the bell jingled that Booth realized she was leaving. "Wait, Bones…hey!" he shouted after her as he jogged to keep up.

Brennan continued to smile to herself as Booth chased after her.

"Bones…wait. What was that about? You made ME promise not to kiss YOU and now you're the one doing the kissing?" Booth asked as he caught up to her and spun her around gently by the arm.

Brennan smirked slightly. "What? I wanted a cinnamon roll," Brennan informed him, turning to begin walking.

His hand stopped her. "You 'wanted a cinnamon roll?' Are you kidding?" Booth asked, still in a state of bewilderment.

"Yeah, that was the best one I've ever had," Brennan replied, nonchalantly.

Booth paused for a few moments as he saw the look of mischievousness in his partner's eyes. She had pulled off a stunt…at his expense. The fog in his brain cleared as Brennan continued to smile that smile and he could see that she was trying to keep from laughing.

He smiled…a near charm smile. "The cinnamon roll or the kiss?" he asked, beaming.

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

"What, are you leaving? Because I distinctly remember the cashier saying that each 'couple' gets a pastry. So, technically, half of that is mine," Booth said, making air quotes on "couple" and pointing to the bag.

"Well, we are not a couple, so therefore, it does not apply," Brennan replied.

"Then, what you just did in there was…lie…and steal," Booth said, glancing up and then back at Brennan as though he were thinking really hard about this. And then he smirked at her.

Brennan opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out at first. "I…did not…lie. I just wanted a cinnamon roll," she finally managed to sputter, a hint of a whine in her voice.

"You so did lie. We're not a couple and you let that poor, sweet girl believe that we were so you could get a free cinnamon roll. That's just not right, Bones," Booth informed her, shaking his head in mock disapproval.

"I didn't lead her to believe anything. She already thought we were a couple, I just went along with it-"

"Because you wanted a cinnamon roll," Booth interrupted, smiling and snickering.

Brennan groaned. "You really are annoying sometimes, do you know that?" she retorted, a defiant look on her face.

"Ooo, am I getting to you? Huh? I am, aren't I?" Booth teased and prodded.

"Good night, Booth," Brennan said as she turned again to leave.

Booth reached forward and grabbed the bag from her hands.

"Booth! That's mine!" Brennan yelled…whined as she tried to snatch it out of his hands.

Booth raised the bag in the air above his head as Brennan tried again to retrieve it. But she couldn't reach.

"Come on, Bones, let me have half," Booth said, stretching up taller as Brennan got closer on the next swipe. He had apparently underestimated her height.

"Now you really are channeling your son," Brennan replied, glaring at him with her jaw set and her eyes piercing.

"Hey, don't put Parker in the middle of this. I'm a lot taller than you so you're gonna have to try harder than that. Come on, Bones, put some heart into it," Booth teased.

"You're only 3 inches taller and I'm wearing 2 inch heels," Brennan replied with a "so there" look on her face.

"You're 5'9"? Wow, didn't realize that," Booth said, sincerely.

Brennan flung her hand in the air again, desperately trying to grasp onto the bag, but Booth jumped and spun away, laughing.

"Seriously, this is ridiculous, Booth," Brennan stated, planting her feet firmly on the ground and folding her arms across her chest.

He stopped jumping around, but he continued to hold the bag in the air.

"Okay, fine, you can have the cinnamon roll," he said as he lowered his arm.

Brennan reached forward to take the bag and he pulled his arm away.

"Booth!"

"But you have to pay for it," Booth replied, smiling smugly at her.

Brennan rolled her eyes again. "Fine. I will go back in there and tell the cashier that we are not a couple and I will pay for the cinnamon roll. Happy?" Brennan responded as she started to walk back to the door.

"No, Bones. I didn't mean that. I meant…" he raised his finger in the air between them and then pointed at her, "…you have to kiss me for it," he said, smiling mischievously at her.

Brennan's face scrunched. "What? Are you kidding?" she asked, still unable to believe they were still discussing kissing over a cinnamon roll.

"I kissed you twice. You kiss me for it and we'll call it even," Booth replied, shrugging. "It's the only rational scenario," he added, smirking.

"That's not fair. You can't use rationale like that," Brennan replied.

"Okay, fine. You don't want it? Good night then, Bones. Talk to you tomorrow?" Booth shot back as he started to turn away. He knew she couldn't give up a fight like this. She was far too stubborn for that.

Brennan sighed. "Fine, Booth," Brennan said, throwing her hands in the air in defeat.

Booth smiled, thrilled with himself for turning this back around.

Brennan walked the few steps to him and after rolling her eyes, she rose onto her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"There. Now can I have it?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Oh, come on. That barely counts for half of the gooey goodness," Booth replied.

"I don't even believe this," Brennan said barely above a whisper as she looked up at the sky and shook her head.

"Lips…or no cinnamon roll," Booth re-negotiated the deal, the smile never leaving his face.

Brennan sighed yet again and stepped towards him. "You really are…annoying," Brennan said for the second time. She took a deep breath and stood only inches from him. She didn't look into his eyes, but she closed hers and reached up to meet his lips. She intended for the kiss to only last a couple of seconds, just long enough to satisfy Booth so she could get her cinnamon roll…but that plan went right out the window the instant their lips connected. He made her so warm and she felt just like she had inside the coffee shop and once again, she did not want to move. It was cold outside, but she didn't feel it as she brushed her lips against his.

Maybe Angela was right, maybe there truly was something more to their relationship. But wait, that couldn't be. No, they were just partners. You'll get hurt And she began to pull back, breaking the kiss.

A tear threatened to escape and she opened her eyes, glancing nervously away. She faked a smile and seized the bag before Booth could even react.

He saw the fear and uncertainty in her eyes…but he had also felt the kiss and he knew right then and there that she wanted him too. New Year's excuse and getting her to shut up weren't reasons that were going to work any more. No way.

"There. I kissed you. So…I guess I'll go. Good night," she sputtered awkwardly, not meeting his gaze once.

This was it. He could let her go or he could show her, really show her how he felt. He had been holding back the last few kisses because he hadn't wanted to scare her. But maybe, just maybe, if she felt all he had to give, she would be convinced.

As she began to turn away, Booth pulled her back and crashed his lips against hers.

She started to pull away, but then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, warming her to the soul. He did not let go.

The bag dropped with a thud from her grasp as her right hand found its way to the base of his neck. Rationale, reasoning, crossing the line…it all disappeared. She could feel him holding her and she knew, she truly knew that he would never ever let go…and she continued to kiss him. She didn't hold back and neither did he. And so they stood for a few minutes, entwined in each other's arms.

It wasn't until they heard a whistle coming from a passing car that they broke apart.

Brennan was breathless. A tear streamed down her cheek.

"Why did you kiss me again?" Brennan asked, trying to mask her blatant state of bliss.

"Come on, Bones. You know you're smarter than that…you know the answer," Booth replied, smiling softly.

Brennan gazed at him, unable to tear her eyes away as another tear spilled out.

"Are you okay?" Booth asked, gently and sincerely.

"Yes, I'm fine," she whispered.

"Bones, look. I'm sorry if…I just-" Booth tried to explain.

"You don't have to be sorry, Booth," Brennan replied, a soft smile forming across her lips.

Booth's brow creased. "Really?" he asked, searching her eyes for what she might be thinking.

"Really," she said, sincerely as she continued to gaze into his eyes. She felt something. Angela had told her that if she felt something, she shouldn't push it away. She had felt it on New Year's and she had felt it in the coffee shop…but she had pushed it away. Now, she wasn't and it was amazing. Why do I feel like this? She couldn't help but question it…because she had never felt like this before.

"I didn't want to…scare you…or anything like that," Booth said slowly as he held her gaze. Her blue-green eyes were sparkling and it warmed his heart. He was still holding her close, his arms wrapped around her.

"You didn't scare me, Booth. I just…well…you know how I am," Brennan replied as she sighed.

Booth's smile widened. "Yes…yes, I do," he replied.

Brennan tilted her head as a smile played across her lips. The moments passed as they stood there, not uttering a word because truthfully, no words were needed.

Brennan stared intensely at him through a very soft smile. But somewhere, deep down, a horrible feeling lingered and she worried that he would leave her or that somehow, some way, he would be taken away from her. She couldn't live with that and suddenly, the walls started to go up again. Her smile began to fade and concern blanketed her face.

Booth saw it in her eyes. He knew. "Bones…I'm not going to hurt you and I will never, ever leave you," he said softly as he brushed a tear from her cheek. "That…is my word. Do you trust me?" Booth asked.

Brennan looked deep into his warm brown eyes and the soft, sweet smile returned to her lips. And she realized everything Angela had said was completely and absolutely true.

"Yes," she replied, very simply, but her eyes said it all.

And Booth knew that he was hers.

He smiled sweetly, tilting her head ever so slightly as he stroked her chin. And he leaned in and kissed her softly one more time, just a quick brush of the lips. He then reached down and grabbed the bag, waving it in the air.

"You still want this? 'Cause it's definitely yours now. You paid the price plus tip," he said, grinning like a little boy.

Brennan chuckled and took the bag from him.

"Only if we take it to your place and heat it up. It's no good cold," Brennan replied, unable to remove the grin from her own face.

Booth eyed her through a squint, his stomach doing somersaults at the thought of what might be in their near future.

"I'm freezing, Booth. Let's go. You drive," she said, nearly demanded, as she brushed past him and towards his car.

He remained in his spot for a few seconds, relishing the moment. He finally turned to the car and jumped in with Brennan in the passenger seat.

They looked to each other, each wearing a soft smile and they stayed that way until Booth broke the gaze.

"So, can I see the picture?" he inquired, raising his eyebrows.

Brennan narrowed her eyes. "No," she replied, smirking.

"What? Why not?" Booth whined.

"I told you. We have to throw it away," Brennan replied.

"Aw, come on. Let me at least see it first," Booth pleaded as he backed out of the parking space.

"No, Booth," Brennan replied.

"Bones, come on! I wanna see what we look like kissing," he insisted.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because…it's probably hot," he said as he snickered.

Brennan smacked him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" he groaned.

"Just drive…" she instructed and then after a mischievous grin, she added, "I'll show you it later…if you're good."

"Oh, if I'm good. What is that supposed to mean?" Booth asked, his face scrunched.

And they continued to bicker, back to their old ways as they headed for Booth's apartment and to a whole new world.


End file.
